Ex-Bishop wins Paraguay presidency

From the pulpit to the presidency - former Roman Catholic bishop Fernando Lugo is Paraguay's new leader.

His victory ends more than 60-years of one-party rule in the South American state.

The 56-year-old ousted the ruling Colorado Party with promises to tackle inequality and stamp out corruption.

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT-ELECT FERNANDO LUGO, SAYING:

"May we never again in the political class of Paraguay, never again base our politics on clientelism or enticements. Because it has done so much damage to our national politics."

Car horns and firecrackers resounded through the capital Asuncion as thousands of Lugo supporters celebrated in the streets.

The Colorado Party's Blanca Ovelar, who was hoping to become Paraguay's first female president, conceded defeat.


(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE BLANCA OVELAR, SAYING:

"We accept our defeat. We welcome the Alianza candidate and we foresee a time of reconciliation for Paraguay."

Lugo quit the priesthood for politics three years ago to fight for the poor - nearly half of all Paraguayans live in poverty.

Land reform and renegotiating an energy treaty with neighbouring Brazil are high on his agenda, but with no single party expected to win a majority in Congress, Paraguay's new leader may be forced to cut deals with his rivals if he hopes to get his proposals passed.

Helen Long, Reuters

stamp out - end or extinguish by forceful means; "Stamp out poverty!"
en·tice tr.v. en·ticed, en·tic·ing, en·tic·es

To attract by arousing hope or desire; lure: The promise of higher pay enticed me into the new job. See Synonyms at lure.
cut a deal (American)

to make an agreement or an arrangement with someone, especially in business or politics. The property developer tried to cut a deal with us to get us out of the building.

Polgyamy custody hearing

It's believed to be the largest child custody case in US history.

A Texas courtroom soon filled up with- mothers and fathers, distressed over the fate of their children--hoping to get them back soon.

SOUNDBITE: Nancy, mother

"I left my daughter in her arms weeping--she was trembling, she was petrified, she has seen them take her brothers."

Two weeks ago ---416 children were removed from the (compound)(premises) of a polygamist sect near San Angelo Texas after authorities said they got a call from a teenager who said she was pregnant and forced to marry a much older man.

The children are now in state custody and today's hearing decides their fate. Witnesses described an emotionally charged courtroom as with multiple lawyers representing the children as the state presented its case.

"There are 416 of them, each of them entitled to their own lawyer and within 10days, we've raised enough volunteers who are coming here with no expectation of payment to represent these kids."

The state of Texas has asked to retain custody of the kids but the final decision lies with Judge Barbara Walther--in a case that could take days to be resolved.

Pavithra George, Reuters

weep·ing adj.

1. Shedding tears; tearful.

2. Dropping rain: weeping clouds.

3. Having slender drooping branches.
trem·ble intr.v. trem·bled, trem·bling, trem·bles

1. To shake involuntarily, as from excitement or anger; quake. See Synonyms at shake.

2. To feel fear or anxiety: I tremble at the very thought of it.

3. To vibrate or quiver: leaves trembling in the breeze.
compound - an enclosure of residences and other building (especially in the Orient)
premises

a. Land and the buildings on it.

b. A building or part of a building.

Candidates on the defensive

In their first debate in seven weeks, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama weren't so much scoring king hits on each other, as clarifying recent controversial comments.

Obama has been under heavy criticism from Clinton and Republican presidential candidate John McCain.

Both have called him elitist and out of touch for saying small town America was clinging to religion and guns in bitterness over their economic troubles.

SOUNDBITE: Barack Obama, U.S. Presidential candidate, saying (English):

"The problem that we have in our politics, which is fairly typical is that you take one person's statement if it is not properly phrased and you just beat it to death. And that's what Senator Clinton has been doing over the last four days, and I understand that. That is politics. And I expect to have to go through this process. But I do think it's important to recognize that it's not helping that person who is sitting at the kitchen table who is trying to figure out how to pay the bills at the end of the month."

the Clinton campaign has been hit hard after she inaccurately said she had come under sniper fire when she arrived in Bosnia 12 years ago.

She apologised for that, but tried to keep the pressure on Obama.

SOUNDBITE: Hillary Clinton, U.S. Presidential candidate, saying (English):

"I know Senator Obama is a good man and I respect him greatly, but I think this is an issue that certainly the Republicans will be raising, and it goes to this larger set of concerns about how we are going to run against John McCain. I wish the Republicans would apologize for the disaster of the Bush-Cheney years and not run anybody, and say it's time for the Democrats to go back into the White House."

Next week the candidates go to the Pennsylvania primary.

Clinton has a small, dwindling lead in polls there, and must score a strong win to stay in the Democratic race.

Andrew Potter, Reuters

out of touch
1. not informed about something. The report shows that the committee is out of touch with recent developments in space technology.

2. not reflecting what is true or actual. These statistics are wildly out of touch with reality and cannot be used. Everything the patient says shows how much he is out of touch.

3. lacking a connection. The writing in this story is out of touch, like an accident report or a doctor's notes.

cling intr.v. clung, cling·ing, clings

1. To hold fast or adhere to something, as by grasping, sticking, embracing, or entwining: clung to the rope to keep from falling; fabrics that cling to the body.

2. To remain close; resist separation: We clung together in the storm.

3. To remain emotionally attached; hold on: clinging to outdated customs.

dwin·dle

v. dwin·dled, dwin·dling, dwin·dles

v.intr.

To become gradually less until little remains.

v.tr.

To cause to dwindle. See Synonyms at decrease.

Gold hits record high

Gold jewellery glints in a shop window, tempting people inside.

But as the gold price hovers around $950 U.S. dollars an ounce - many customers aren't buying, they're selling.

This jewellers in London say they've seen a large increase in people selling gold since it hit a record high of $1000 an ounce in March.

That prompted this customer to consider selling his gold pocket watch:

SOUNDBITE: No name given, Customer, saying (English):

"Because the price of gold is high and I need the money."

While 950 to 1000 dollars for an ounce of gold sounds like a good earner, jeweller Max Ullmann says the spot gold price is not what sellers receive:

SOUNDBITE: Max Ullmann, Jeweller, saying (English):

"If it's nine carat gold, then this is not the same gold as is being advertised as one thousand dollars an ounce on the news. This is nine parts gold and fifteen parts alloys, alloys are scrap metal, you know, copper and brass and tin and zinc, and things obviously with far less value than gold, the gold that you see advertised on the news, the gold that's being traded and the gold that's being bought by the banks is pure gold, twenty-four carat gold, which is not the purity of gold ever used in jewellery-making."

Most will only get around 330 dollars an ounce for nine carat gold, but that hasn't deterred many from selling their precious items.

In Germany, jewellers say all types of gold are coming in.

SOUNDBITE: Karl-Eugen Friedrich, Chairman of German Jewellers' Association, saying (German):

"I have to say the number of gold sale offers has certainly tripled or quadrupled. Almost everyone has some gold in a drawer at home which they don't wear any more, from gold teeth to a gold chain they bought in Italy in the 70s."

And while those selling the old gold they've found at home can still make a tidy profit, some analysts are sounding a note of caution.

They say the turmoil in the financial markets has pushed prices for gold and other commodities like oil well above fair market value.

So those wanting to make some money should be selling their gold now, rather than wearing it.

Joanna Partridge, Reuters

glint n.

1. A momentary flash of light; a sparkle.

2. A faint or fleeting indication; a trace.

v. glint·ed, glint·ing, glints

v.intr.

To gleam or flash briefly. See Synonyms at flash.

v.tr.

To cause to gleam or flash.
hov·er intr.v. hov·ered, hov·er·ing, hov·ers

1. To remain floating, suspended, or fluttering in the air: gulls hovering over the waves.

2. To remain or linger in or near a place: hovering around the speaker's podium.

3. To remain in an uncertain state; waver: hovered between anger and remorse.

n.

The act or state of hovering: a helicopter in hover.
al·loy n.

1. A homogeneous mixture or solid solution of two or more metals, the atoms of one replacing or occupying interstitial positions between the atoms of the other: Brass is an alloy of zinc and copper.

brass n.

a. A yellowish alloy of copper and zinc, sometimes including small amounts of other metals, but usually 67 percent copper and 33 percent zinc.

b. Ornaments, objects, or utensils made of this alloy.

tin n.

1. Symbol Sn A malleable, silvery metallic element obtained chiefly from cassiterite. It is used to coat other metals to prevent corrosion and is a part of numerous alloys, such as soft solder, pewter, type metal, and bronze. Atomic number 50; atomic weight 118.71; melting point 231.89°C; boiling point 2,270°C; specific gravity 7.31; valence 2, 4. See Table at element.

de·ter v. de·terred, de·ter·ring, de·ters

v.tr.

To prevent or discourage from acting, as by means of fear or doubt: "Does negotiated disarmament deter war?" Edward Teller. See Synonyms at dissuade.

v.intr.

To prevent or discourage the occurrence of an action, as by means of fear or doubt: "It's this edge that gives nuclear weapons their power to deter" Thomas Powers.
ti·dy adj. ti·di·er, ti·di·est

1. Orderly and neat in appearance or procedure. See Synonyms at neat¹.

2. Informal Adequate; satisfactory: a tidy arrangement.

3. Informal Substantial; considerable: a tidy sum.

tur·moil n.

A state of extreme confusion or agitation; commotion or tumult: a country in turmoil over labor strikes.

UN debates Zimbabwe


The issue wasn't on the agenda at the UN Security Council summit, but British Prime Minister Gordon Brown brought it up anyway : Zimbabwe. He raised doubt that President Robert Mugabe had been re-elected.

(SOUNDBITE)(English) BRITISH PRIME MINISTER GORDON BROWN, SAYING:

"No one thinks, having seen the results of polling stations, that President Mugabe has won. A stolen election would not be a democratic election at all."

No result has been announced. But Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai contends he won the election on March 29.

(SOUNDBITE)(English) BAN KI-MOON, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY-GENERAL, SAYING:

UN Secretary -General Ban Ki-moon expressed deep concern, warning that the deadlocked situation could deteriorate in Zimbabwe.

"The credibility off the democratic process in Africa could be at stake here."

South African president Thabo Mbeki heads the Security Council but did not include Zimbabwe as an official topic of the summit. He has said he does not see the election stalemate as a crisis. Fred Katayama, Reuters, New York.

stake A piece of wood or metal pointed at one end for driving into the ground as a marker, fence pole, or tent peg.
at stake At risk; in question.

Spain's economic boom reverses

Over the last two decades Spain has experienced rapid economic growth fuelled by a housing boom.

Offering sun, sea and sand, 5 million new homes have been built in the last ten years thanks to an influx of immigrants to cities and foreigners to the coastal regions.

But the sun start setting on the construction industry in Spain's grossly over-supplied coastal market last year and spreading across the country.

Construction accounts for almost 20 percent of GDP and Bank of Spain's head of research, Jose Luis de Molina, worries about a slowdown.

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BANK OF SPAIN'S HEAD OF RESEARCH, JOSE LUIS MALO DE MOLINA, SAYING:

"After representing for a long period the motor of our economy, the housing sector is now, undoubtedly, the main factor behind the downturn in which the Spanish economy is already into."

The IMF says that the global credit crunch could halve Spanish growth to 1.8 percent and curb lending to a fast-cooling housing market.

So now Spanish builders are tempting cagey home buyers with free cars, mortgage holidays and hard cash.

At last week's annual property fair in Madrid, the number of promoters was down by a third on the previous year.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) HABITAT MARKETING DIRECTOR, LAURA ARGENTE, SAYING:

"We are offering important discounts. Today, we believe, price is a very important factor in this market -therefore we are offering up to 50.000 euros for buying a house."

But even with these discounts, huge numbers of people are priced out of the market.

First-time buyer Carmen Gil says a state-sponsored apartment is her only option.

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FIRST-TIME HOME BUYER, CARMEN GIL, SAYING:

"I don't think it is a bad idea because right now there is fear in the air and that is lowering prices, owners are selling cheaper. I think this situation will continue until the end of the year, so I'm going to take advantage."


But with the burst of the housing bubble tens of thousands of jobs are being lost too and Spain's 3 million immigrants are being hit hard.

Foreigners who worked in construction during the boom are no longer wanted and unemployment in that group rose by more than a half in 2007.

Stefanie McIntyre, Reuters

ca·gey also ca·gy adj. ca·gi·er, ca·gi·est Wary; careful: a cagey avoidance of a definite answer.
gloom n.

1.

a. Partial or total darkness; dimness: switched on a table lamp to banish the gloom of a winter afternoon.

b. A partially or totally dark place, area, or location.

2.

a. An atmosphere of melancholy or depression: Gloom pervaded the office.

b. A state of melancholy or depression; despondency.

hard cash - money in the form of bills or coins; "there is a desperate shortage of hard cash"
priced out - the market has already incorporated information, such as a low dividend, into the price of a stock.
burst n. A sudden outbreak or outburst; an explosion.
bub·ble n.

1. A thin, usually spherical or hemispherical film of liquid filled with air or gas: a soap bubble.

2. A globular body of air or gas formed within a liquid: air bubbles rising to the surface.

hit something hard - to cause something to be much less successful. The tourist trade has been hit hard following the recent spate of bombings.

Euro hits record highs

Soaring food and energy prices have pushed inflation in the 15 European countries in the euro zone to a new high. The March figure is 3.6 per cent. That's the highest in nearly 16 years and higher than analysts expected.

The news will be cheered by Europeans heading across the Atlantic to shop because it's boosted the euro to record highs against the dollar - a euro now worth $1.59.

But for borrowers, the surge in prices badly dents the chances of the European Central Bank following the U.S. central bank in cutting interest rates.

The dollar's lost 15 percent against the euro since September - the decline thanks to steps taken by the Fed to protect the U.S. economy weather the subprime mortgage meltdown.

A gloomy profit picture from JPMorgan Chase after more than five billion dollars in writedowns linked in part to subprime loan losses. America's third-largest investment bank says quarterly profit fell 50 per cent - to $2.37 billion or 68 cents per share from 4.79 billion - $1.34 a share a year ago.

European markets took the news in their stride - nerves had been frayed at the prospect of further fallout from the global credit crunch but JPMorgan's result was better than many expected.

Shares prices kept their gains, the FTSE Eurofirst 300 trading higher.

So too the main European indices.

That weak dollar helped oil to a new record high above $114 a barrel. The price is more than three times the average seen in 2002, when oil's rally began.

Iraqi oil could soon be on its way to European markets. The EU says it's mere weeks away from signing a preliminary energy pact with Iraq. It's all part of the bloc's efforts to reduce its heavy reliance on somewhat unpredictable Russian oil and gas.

Susan Flory, Reuters

surge v. surged, surg·ing, surg·es

v.intr.

1. To rise and move in a billowing or swelling manner.

2. To roll or be tossed about on waves, as a boat.

3. To move like advancing waves: The fans surged forward to see the movie star.

4. To increase suddenly: As favorable reviews came out, interest in the software surged.

dent n.

1. A depression in a surface made by pressure or a blow: a dent in the side of a car.

2. Informal A significant, usually diminishing effect or impression: The loss put a dent in the team's confidence.
melt·down n.

1. Severe overheating of a nuclear reactor core, resulting in melting of the core and escape of radiation.

2. Informal A disastrous or rapidly developing situation likened to the melting of a nuclear reactor core: "After several corporate meltdowns, only two reporters remain in [the] bureau" David Fitzpatrick.

3. Informal An emotional breakdown

gloom·y adj. gloom·i·er, gloom·i·est

1. Partially or totally dark, especially dismal and dreary: a damp, gloomy day.

2. Showing or filled with gloom: gloomy faces.

3.

a. Causing or producing gloom; depressing: gloomy news.

b. Marked by hopelessness; very pessimistic: gloomy predictions.

stride - A step of progress; an advance. Often used in the plural: making great strides in their studies.
fray

tr.v. frayed, fray·ing, frays Archaic

1. To alarm; frighten.

2. To drive away.

mere adj. Superlative mer·est

1. Being nothing more than what is specified: a mere child; a mere 50 cents an hour.

re·li·ance n.

1. The act of relying or the state of being reliant.

2. The faith, confidence, or trust felt by one who relies; dependence.